North American B-25 Mitchell Losses in Greece 1943-1944

Research: Manolis Bardanis [email protected]

The list refers to medium bomber aircrafts type B-25 Mitchel which lost in the Greek territory and its limits. The collection of data was based mainly on documents from USAAF Missing Air Crew Reports (MACR). Wherever it was possible information cross checked with RAF, SAAF, and archives. German ships, units, pilot names, etc., are also listed as well as little additional information from the internet and the literature mentioned below. Perhaps the list is not complete and any new information that arises will be added to it. Certainly some mistakes are inevitable and hopefully instructions and data from the reader will help to identify and correct.

Losses relating to aircrafts of the following units: USAAF: 12thAF/57BW/310BG/379BS, 12thAF/57BW/321BG/445BS, 12thAF/57BW/321BG/447BS, 12thAF/57BW/340BG/486BS.

Acronyms & Abbreviations A/C Aircraft GA Griechenland Attika Ofw. Oberfeldwebel AF Air Force Gefr. Gefreiter ORB Operations Record Book AFHRA Air Force Historical Research Agency Hptm. Hauptmann POW Bf-109 or ME-109 Aircraft type Messerschmitt JG Jagdeschwader RAF Royal Air Force BG Bombardment Group K.Kpt. Korvettenkapitän SAAF BS Bombardment Squadron KIA Killed In Action Sgt Sergeant BW Bombardment Wing Ltn. Lieutenant S/Sgt Staff Sergeant Cpl Corporal 1/Lt or Lt1 Lieutenant Sqn Squadron FG Fighter Group 2/Lt or Lt2 2nd Lieutenant T/Sgt Technical Sergeant FS Fighter Squadron MACR Missing Air Crew Report UJ Unterseeboote Jäger F/O Flight Officer Mk Mark USAAF United States Army Air Force Fw Feldwebel NMI No Middle Initial W/O Warrant Officer

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B-25C of the 340th BG/489th BS bombs striking the Eleusis airfield on 16th of November 1943. Photo credits: T/Sgt. Minot M. (Johnny) Johnson 35385773. Combat photographer of 489th BS.

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LAST UPDATE 24/01/2018

Listed by date

Date Construction Type A/A dd/mm/yy Unit CREW History / Remarks /Location / Sources Number Mark Time

1943

321 BG Mission #135. At 11:25 Forty-eight B-25s and twenty-four P-38s for escort took off from Grottaglie airdrome () for a bombing (combat) 2/Lt. Joel T. HARTMEISTER (Pilot) mission to Eleusis airdrome (Greece). 0-792260 EVADED After completion of bomb run, the ship was hit by flak and attacked by enemy fighters, 2/Lt. Ernest A. FREY (Co-Pilot) 0- damaged in one engine and forced to cut the 793404 EVADED formation and ditched in the sea in Gulf of Korinthos at the mouth of Livadhostra bay. S/Sgt. Thomas H. FLYNN The plane was on fire. Hartmeister, Frey, (Bombardier) 31124434 EVADED Flynn and Chaney bailed out and swim for nine hours, sighted a fishing boat and were

S/Sgt. Joseph E. KERBOW (Engineer picked up. 12thAF/ 08/10/43 – Gunner) 18039576 KIA. 1 42-64590 B-25C 57BW/321BG/ 13:45 On 23rd of November 1943, pilot Joel 445BS Sgt. Phillip W. O’NEILL (Turret Hartmeister, co-pilot Ernest Frey,

gunner) 14076598 KIA. bombardier Thomas Flynn and photographer Kenneth Chaney reported safe in hands of T/Sgt. Warren D. WRIGHT (Radio guerrillas group in Karpenision. operator – Gunner) 34283264 KIA. Shot down 20km. S. Leváhdia:3.500m. at 13:48 T/Sgt. Kenneth M. CHANEY Luftwaffe A/C: Bf-109 (Photographer from 9th Combat Pilot: Major Gustav-Siegfried Rödel. Camera Unit) 17042414 EVADED Unit: Stab./JG 27

MACR 1307, 321st BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), BA-MA Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr.-

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42-64590 point of ditch. p. 4

321 BG Mission #135. At 11:25 Forty-eight B-25s and twenty-four P-38s for escort took off from Grottaglie airdrome (Italy) for a bombing (combat) mission to Eleusis airdrome (Greece).

After completion of bomb run, on the way to basis, the ship did a sharp turn of 180ο and head back toward another B-25 (the previous

on the list 42-64590) which was falling 1/Lt. James Buckner Jr. FISHER behind and quickly losing altitude after an (Pilot) 0-659966 attack by enemy fighters.

Both of the planes attacked again by the 2/Lt. John Walter CARMINE (Co- enemy fighters. Damaged B-25 (42-64590) went pilot) 0-794527 into the water and 42-64675 pulled back up

to rejoin formation. Right engine was 2/Lt. Jack P. MAC LEOD feathered and was flying 150mph. Before (Bombardier) 0-731211 reaching Cape Avia a fresh bunch of enemy

fighters attacked the B-25. The plane began 2/Lt. Hobart G. “Bart” OSBURN to lose altitude quickly and was forced to (Navigator) 0-669098 make a successful water landing 10 miles NW

of town of Patrai (Gulf of Patrai) with the 08/10/43 12thAF/ S/Sgt. Theodore C. KUNIS (Engineer 2 POOCHIE B-25C fighters still attacking until the plane 14:05 57BW/321BG/ – Gunner) 33069075 42-64675 stopped. 445BS

S/Sgt. Howard L. GARTHWAITE (Radio Shot down 15 km. N. Araxos: 500 m. at 14:10 operator – Gunner) 32402780 Luftwaffe A/C: Bf-109

Pilot: Ofw. Kurt Hoppe Cpl. John (NMI) WORONUK (Turret Unit: 8./JG 27 gunner) 6486610

On 2005 a trawler fishing boat recovered on Captain Clarence H. “Pop” CORNING its nets the starboard engine of the B-25C (Observer) 0-125382 (97FS, 82FG) from 100m depth in Gulf of Patrai

(Panagopoulas area). On the inside of the All POW’s in prison camp Stalag cowling there is an inscription 1414 R but Luft I, Barth Germany. Repatriated no dataplate. The engine is exhibited in to the USA in Jan 1945. Hellenic Air Force Museum.

MACR 927, MACR 1301, 321st BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), BA-MA Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr. –

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“POOCHIE” 42-64675 point of ditch. p. 6

321 BG Mission # 147 At 11:55 Thirty-six B-25s and thirty-two P-38s for escort took off from Grottaglie to bomb Salonika/Megalo Mikra and Salonika/Sedes Airdromes.

As the plane completed its bomb run on the target it apparently was hit by flak, at about 13:40, in the right engine. The crews of several other planes in the same flight

saw its right engine emitting a trail of 2/Lt. William T. BAXTER (Pilot) black smoke shortly after it dropped its

bombs. The plane followed the rest of the 2/Lt. Theodore G. JORDAN (Co- formation for about 120 degrees of the 180 Pilot) degree right turn that the formation made

off the target, during which turn it was 2/Lt. Graham K. MUIRHEAD observed to be losing altitude fairly (Bombardier) Evaded. Return to rapidly. It failed to complete the full turn 447BS on 11 Feb. 1944 with the formation possibly because the turn

was into its damaged engine. It straightened S/Sgt. Ralph J. H. GREGORY out and flew a straight course of about 200 (Engineer - Gunner) degrees while the formation continued on a

ALLEY 12thAF/ heading of about 270 degrees. At this time Sgt. Harvey H. WAGNER (Gunner) 3 26/10/43 B-25C 57BW/321BG/ it was at about 7500 feet altitude some 2000 CAT II 447BS feet below the formation. By this time it’s Sgt. Ralph W. NEWHOUSE (Radio right motor had ceased smoking. Some 42-53487 operator – Gunner) KIA observers state that the propeller was

feathered. When last seen it was continuing Cpl. Robert D. LEON (Photographer) to lose altitude rapidly although several Return to 447BS on 13 Feb. 1944 observers state that it was holding its

altitude. All agree that it was under 28 Nov. 1943. A report received control. Since its engines had well over 300 states that the crew being hours and had lost a great deal of their interned in Turkey. Sgt. Newhouse, power it is the opinion of the pilot who (Engineer Gunner) was killed over usually flew the plane that it could not the target. The others are safe. hold such an altitude on one engine and that 447th BS War Diary it was doubtful whether it could maintain

flying speed at any altitude. One observer states that he saw the plane turn south and then east to a point near the coast south of Epanomi Point where it was only about 500 feet off the water. At the time that it first left the formation the flight leader was advised of its condition and unsuccessfully attempted to contact it by radio. Its element leader also observed its plight and throttled back to p. 7

give it a chance to rejoin the formation. However it was soon apparent that it could not or would not rejoin the formation when it continued on its 200 degree heading and the formation was compelled to leave it behind. 321st BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958),

447th Maintenance crew working on B-25 Alley Cat II. Top left, nose art. Photo credits pilot of 447BS Lt. Richard H. “Dick” Spingler

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Detachment Squadron “G” Mission #18. Four aircraft, 2 B-25G’s (Flying Caisson and Red nose Beckie) of 445BS and 446BS USAAF and 2 Beaufighters Mk.X (JM317/S and …./L) of 47Sqn. RAF, took off from Gambut #3 and El Adem at 13:50 - 13:47 for shipping strike mission in the harbour of Naxos island in the Aegean. At 15:50 the formation reached Naxos island and attacked the German ships GA01 and GA54 2/Lt. Gordon J. BLACK (Pilot) that were anchored in the harbour as well as 0742663 the GA92 that was out of the port. The German ships GA01 and GA54 heavily damaged 2/Lt. William GOLDEN (Co-Pilot) from attack but didn’t sink. Their crews 0674485 acted fast and fire back at the time that the a/c’s turned off the target run and S/Sgt. Felton E. HORTON (Gunner) started to break for safety. Then they 38224757 encountered a great deal of medium and heavy flak. Beaufighter JM317/S get damaged in one S/Sgt. Arthur W. LANG (Radio of the engines and forced to ditched 8 miles

operator – Gunner) 31174614 North-east of the harbour (near Abraam bay) 12thAF/ and B-25G “Flying Caisson” crashed in the Flying B-25C-20 57BW/321BG/ S/Sgt. Edwin E. RAMSBURG (Engineer sea 2 miles west of the port in position 30/10/43 Converted 445BS/ 4 CAISSON – Gunner) 15077105 (446BS) 37ο08'N, 25ο20’Ε. 15:55 to Detachment Possibly pilots get killed in the cockpit B-25G Squadron 42-64579 Sgt. Richard E. WENRICH because both engines were last seen “G” (Bombardier) 33238203 functioning perfect till the aircraft hit

the water. All KIA. Losses on German ships: On GA01 3 men killed, 6 wounded. Within them German No one was seen leaving the commander K.Kpt. Adolf Brune. On GA54 3 men aircraft at the time of the crash, killed and 4 wounded. On GA92 1 man wounded. nor was anyone seen when the other Two Naxian inhabitants killed accidentally B-25G “Red Nose Beckie” and in that operation, Nikiforos Legakis and Beaufighter “L” did a visual sweep Dimitris Valvis. several minutes after the crash. The last decade there were several The aircraft broke up on impact. expeditions and researches to locate the wreck, with no results. Although there are some information from local people that after the WWII (1950), the wreck of B-25G tangled in trawler fishing nets lifted up and sold for scrap. MACR 1137, 47 Squadron RAF ORBs, 321st BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), Kriegstagebuch der 12 Küstenschutzflottille Attika. p. 9

“Flying Caisson” 42-64579 point of crash p. 10

321 BG Mission #150. At 06:00 Forty-eight B-25s with fifty-two P- 38s for escort took off from Grottaglie airdrome (Italy) for combat (bombing) mission to Eleusis airdrome and dispersal areas of (Greece). When the planes arrived at the target, the field was closed due to weather. The planes then went on to a second target. Araxos Airdrome in Greece was bombed. The mission was definitely out of the milk-

run class. Just outside the Athens area 2/Lt. Gail G. MILLER (Pilot) 0- eight or nine Me-109 fighters attacked the 666786 formation in a hit-and-run manner. The

fighters came up from below and took full 2/Lt. Charles A. STANDLEY (Co- advantage of nearby clouds as cover for pilot) 0-674529 their attack.

A/c 42-32486 received hit, believed by flak Cpl Paul E. ZIMMER (Bombardier) on the right vertical stabilizer of the tail 12044996 assembly before the town of Eleusis, enroute

to the target. The plane slid out of S/Sgt. Stanley J. QUINTIN (Turret 12thAF/ formation to the left and back to the rear 03/11/43 Gunner) 31115280 5 42-32486 B-25C 57BW/321BG/ where it rolled over and began to spin to 08:05 445BS the ground. The right rudder and horizontal T/Sgt. Robert A. FEHR (Radio stabilizer were shot away and the turret Gunner) 36147041 dome blown off. Both of the engines were in

operation and the plane spinned down slowly, T/Sgt. Andrew J. CHOKA (Tail remaining in an almost flat position. The Gunner) 35134427 plane was seen to hit the water and exploded

in the Eleusis Bay, approximately one half

mile from the shore, west of Eleusis, One parachute was seen to open but Greece. all 6 KIA.

Another B-25 (42-64546) “Jessie James” also

heavily damaged from german Me-109s but succeeded to return safely back to base. The same date at 08:05 (same time) there is a claim of a B-26 Marauder by Ltn. Hans- Gunnar Culemann Stab III./JG27 SW Eleusís: 4.000 m. (W. Athens). There is no loss of a Marauder on that date, so it might be the B-25C 42-32486. MACR 1198, 321st BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), BA-MA Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr.41 p. 11

42-32486 point of crash

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340 BG Mission #192. Seventy-two B-25s, Thirty-six planes from 340 BG and Thirty-six from 321 BG, with P- 38s for escort, took off at 10:10-10:32 from San Pancratzio airdrome (Italy) for combat mission to Athens – Kalamaki airdrome (Greece).

At 12:55 planes were over the target. When bomb run was completed and turning off target the ship received the first 88mm flak

hit in the rear section of the bomb bay. At 2/Lt. John D. O’LEARY (Pilot) 0- the same time a German a/c Me-109 appeared 798022 EVADED. Helped by Greeks. from the sun and another one reported

attacking from opposite direction. Traces 2/Lt. John E. SMITH (Co-pilot) 0- from both Me109’s set up a cross fire which 742791 POW. In German prison poured through the right wing. Flak Hospital. bracketing from both sides hit both engines.

The B-25 started spinning. Pilot and Co- 2/Lt. Daniel R. DUSZKIEWICZ Pilot bailed out but no one else. The ship (Bombardier - Navigator) crashed in the mountains approximately 45 0-669020 KIA. Buried in Koropi miles south and east of Athens, just outside 17/11/43 12thAF/ town cemetery. 6 42-64540 B-25C the town of Koropi. 12:54 57BW/340BG/

486BS S/Sgt. John P. SWEENEY (Radio To lost a bomber over the target in the operator - Gunner) 32396880 KIA. daytime to enemy fighter opposition it was Buried in Koropi town cemetery. the first time happened in the combat

history of 340th Bombardment Group. Sgt. Roderick M. MAC DOUGALL

(Armorer – Gunner) 31031000 KIA. A/C shoted down by one of the following Buried in Koropi town cemetery. German pilots or a combination of them:

Ltn. Wolfgang Hohls 11./JG 27 W. Krapias: S/Sgt. Frank E. WILLIAMS (Tail 4.000 m. 12.49 Gunner) 33264947 KIA. Buried in Fw. Heinrich Bartels 11./JG 27 N.E. Koropi town cemetery. Kalamáki: 4.000 m. 12.50 Fw. Heinrich Bartels 11./JG 27 N.E. Kalamáki: 4.000 m. 12.52 Hptm. Joachim Kirschner Stab IV./JG 27 W. Insel Disporia: 3.900 m. 13.03 Ltn. Hans-Gunnar Culemann Stab III./JG 27 südlich Athen 12.50

MACR 1826, 340th BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), BA-MA Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr.- Reference: JG 27 Lists f. 347 p. 13

1944

379 BS Mission #217 Four B-25’s took off from Gambut () for a combat mission around Leros island.

West side of Leros, approximately two miles off shore Portolago Bay sighted a 3000 tons Merchant Vessel and two escorting Corvettes.

After attacking a three ship convoy the a/c 2/Lt. James F. “Jimmy” LAVENDER was hit on the left wing about in the (Pilot) 0-740841 middle. There was a gap in that wing about a

foot wide and 9 inches deep from which a 2/Lt. Warren G. STALEY (Co-pilot) piece of cable was dangling. Believed to 0-747915 have hit a rocket cable fired by vessel it

attacked. The left engine started to throw 2/Lt. Edwin A. SMITH (Bombardier – oil. The plane was unable to hold altitude Navigator) 0-741762 and settled into the sea. Was seen to make a

controlled and successful ditching SSW off Sgt. John V. GAROFALO (Bombardier Lakki bay, Leros, in position 37ο05’N, – Gunner) 32557629 26ο48’E. 12thAF/ 01/02/44 1 42-64840 B-25G 57BW/310BG/ S/Sgt. Neil S. JOHNSON (Gunner) 12:57 More information about this operation can be 379BS 15324259 read on the following a/c of the list.

Cpl. Samuel P. RUSSELL (Tail

gunner) 16109060 MACR 2814,

310th BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW All KIA. EO12958), It is believed that the crew Kriegstagebuch der 9. Torpedobootflottille, survived the landing and used the Kriegstagebuch des Kommandanten der dinghy, however, no trace of the Seeverteidigung des Dodekanes six crew members was ever found,

and one year later, the Government

made a Finding Of Death for each

of the six crew members.

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42-64840 point of ditch p. 15

379 BS Mission #217 Four B-25’s took off from Gambut (Libya) for a combat mission around Leros island.

West side of Leros, approximately two miles off shore Portolago Bay sighted a 3000 tons Merchant Vessel and two escorting Corvettes. Made an attack. A/c was hit by flak on crossing ships before going over the Merchant Vessel. When last seen it was burning at either left engine or gas tank. It crashed heavily into the sea about 30

seconds later, nose down at about a 25 2/Lt. Edmund N. SLATER (Pilot) 0- degree angle. Exploded on impact. 674955 SSW off Lakki bay, Leros, in position

37ο05’N, 26ο48’E. 2/Lt. Gustave HUTTEMANN (Co-pilot)

0-795748 On German documents the same day in vicinity

of Leros there were 3 attacks from allied 2/Lt. Dudley P. THORNE (Bombardier forces aircrafts reported at approximately – Navigator) 0-741769 the same time. The first 2 were made from 12thAF/ 01/02/44 the formation of Β-25’s of 379 BS USAAF and 2 42-64770 B-25G 57BW/310BG/ S/Sgt. Deane E. PYLES (Radio 12:57 the 3rd from six Marauders B-26 of 24 Sqn. 379BS operator – Gunner) 15322848 SAAF instead of six Mitchells that Germans

mistakenly reported. S/Sgt. Walter J. MAC CONNELL

(Gunner) 12030923 01.02.44 At 11:30 (12:30 British time) Four

enemy a/c’s type Mitchell attacked and sank S/Sgt. Todd (NMI) BARNEYCASTLE (T a small 8 tons oil tanker in Alinda bay Gunner) 18117439 (east Leros). One of the enemy aircrafts

shoted down by anti-aircraft fire from All KIA. “Mars” batterie. A second aircraft seen in

smoke when breaking away.

01.02.44 At 11:35 (12:35 British time) Four a/c’s attacked on submarine chasser ships UJ 2124, UJ 2151 and UJ 2153 west of Leros. The UJ 2124 (former Greek steam yacht ELLAKI) 108 BRT was hit hard and sank after the boiler exploded. Survivors collected from UJ 2151 and UJ 2153 and transported to Porto Lago (Port Lakki, Leros). Losses: 3 men dead, 4 heavily injured and 3 light wounded.

01.02.44 At 12.25 (13:25 British time) Six p. 16

a/c’s type Mitchell attacked on M/V LEDA (former Italian LEOPARDI) 4572 BRT. Some of the bombs fell into the sea and some on land without causing any damage.

It is possible that the final shot on one of the two B-25’s was given by 7./JG27 pilot Gefr. Gerhard Siegling who was credited with the destruction of one B-25 west of Calino (Kalymnos) on 1st of February 1944 at 12:30

On 2011 a trawler fishing boat recovered on its nets a piece of a wing (8,5m length) of a B-25 Mitchell from 230m depth. The position of recovery was SSW on the route from Lakki (Leros) to Astypalaia island. The wing is dropped in shallow water close to the shore off Leros. Some small pieces of the a/c are exhibited in War Material Museum (Leros).

MACR 2815, 310 BG Squadrons War Diaries (AFHRA, IAW EO12958), Kriegstagebuch der 9. Torpedobootflottille, Kriegstagebuch des Kommandanten der Seeverteidigung des Dodekanes. 24 Sqn. SAAF War Diaries - Sortie reports BA-MA Film C. 2025/II Anerk: Nr.2 Deposito Di Guerra / War Material Museum (Leros)

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42-64770 point of crash

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SOURCES:

MACR’s: 927, 1137, 1198, 1301, 1307, 1826, 2814, 2815.

310st BG. Squadrons War Diaries. (AFHRA, IAW EO12958) 321st BG. Squadrons War Diaries. (AFHRA, IAW EO12958) 340st BG. Squadrons War Diaries. (AFHRA, IAW EO12958)

47 Sqn. RAF ORBs (AIR 27/464)

24 Sqn. SAAF War Diaries - Sortie reports (AIR 54/72)

Dimitris Galon archives: Kriegstagebuch Küstenschutzflottille Attika Kriegstagebuch 9. Torpedobootflottille. Kriegstagebuch des Kommandanten der Seeverteidigung des Dodekanes

BA-MA 35-mm. micro-films O.K.L. Fighter Claims. Chef für Ausz. und Dizsiplin Luftwaffen-Personalamt L.P. (A) V Films & Supplementary Claims from Lists Mediterranean & Southern Front 1943

Deposito Di Guerra - War Material Museum (Ioannis Paraponiaris. Ag. Irini – Lakki Lerou, Leros Greece) https://patraikosgulf.wordpress.com http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/ http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html http://57thbombwing.com http://www.angelfire.com http://www.warwingsart.com http://www.qattara.it/ http://www.cieldegloire.com

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